स गत्वा तपस: पार देहमुत्सूज्य भारत । जगाम पितृलोकाय न लेभे तत्र तत्फलम्,भारत! वे अपनी तपस्याको पूरी करके शरीरका त्याग करनेपर पितृलोकमें गये; किंतु वहाँ उन्हें अपने तप एवं सत्कर्मोंका फल नहीं मिला
sa gatvā tapasaḥ pāraṁ deham utsṛjya bhārata | jagāma pitṛlokāya na lebhe tatra tatphalam ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai Bhārata, setelah mencapai kemuncak tapanya, dia meninggalkan jasad dan pergi ke alam Pitṛ; namun di sana dia tidak memperoleh buah daripada tapa itu dan daripada amal kebajikannya.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Austerity and good deeds do not automatically yield their expected reward; the fruition of karma depends on alignment with dharma and the subtle conditions of intention, conduct, and moral fitness—hence even one who reaches the 'end of tapas' may fail to receive its fruit in the afterlife.
Vaiśampāyana reports that a person, after completing his austerities, dies (relinquishes the body) and reaches Pitṛloka, but there he does not receive the anticipated reward for his tapas and virtuous acts, setting up a moral or causal explanation in the surrounding passage.